Dental IssuesYour miniature horses teeth can wear down over time from chewing. The uneven wear may cause edges to have sharp spots, making it painful for the horse to eat. Your veterinarian can use a dental float to smooth the sharpness.

This is important because horses tend to swallow food without chewing it properly if they experience pain in their mouth. This could cause colic.

Symptoms of painful or abscessed teeth include:dropping food, bad breath, excessive saliva, blood in saliva, swelling, and if extreme pain occurs they may refuse to eat.

If your miniature horses has an overbite or underbite, and their teeth do not meet properly, they can have difficulty chewing. A veterinarian can check for this and file any teeth that cause the improper meshing when the teeth come together.

Dental CapsWhen you miniature horse is two years old, it's baby teeth will begin to shed. Sometimes a baby tooth can get stuck on the permanent teeth. This is called a cap. This can prevent the permanent tooth from coming in properly, or it may grow in the opposite direction. A dental bump may be formed from the dental cap, causing bumps to appear along the horse's jaw-line, and infection may result. Your veterinarian can easily remove the cap.

If the dental cap is not removed, horses tend to begin cribbing behavior (biting wood), in an attempt to remove the cap. Cribbing may continue as a bad habit long after the dental cap if removed.

WolfteethYou may suspect a problem with wolf teeth, (retained roots of a premolar), if your horse tosses hishead, or carries the bridle to one side because wolfteeth can be painful. They are located in front of the first molar. Your veterinarian can easily remove these if they become a problem.